1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cabriolet vehicle with a convertible top hatch which can be moved between a cover position and an open position for selectively covering and opening a convertible top compartment and with a roll bar which can be moved between a lowered position and a protective position and which can be coupled to the convertible top hatch for joint movement.
2. Description of Related Art
A generic cabriolet vehicle is known from German Patent DE 197 14 104 C1. In the vehicle shown there, the convertible top hatch can be coupled directly to the roll bar via a journal to swing together, which journal is movably attached to the hatch in the transverse direction of the motor vehicle. The roll bar is made C-shaped, with two legs which are coupled to the motor vehicle sides and a cross brace which joins the two legs.
Since the roll bar is generally swung into its protective position from the vehicle rear to the vehicle front around an axis which runs in the transverse direction of the vehicle, the convertible top hatch must likewise execute such a swing motion as a result of the coupling to the roll bar which is shown in German Patent DE 197 14 014 C1. Aligned in its open position, the roll bar forms a barrier which must be overcome by the convertible top during the stowage process. This requires complex sequences of motion in space and time by the convertible top, the convertible top hatch and the roll bar.
The disadvantage in the known embodiment is that the motion of the convertible top hatch is fixed in terms of type and direction by the roll bar: It must swing jointly with the roll bar in the same direction and with the same direction of rotation.
The primary object of the present invention is to develop a cabriolet vehicle such that the convertible top can be retracted into the convertible top compartment of the vehicle and extended from it using simple sequences of motion.
By selectively coupling a convertible top hatch transmission part to the roll bar movement part, in place of the convertible top hatch itself, the convertible top hatch can be moved with greater independence from the roll bar. Movement of the convertible top into the convertible top compartment (retraction) or out of it (extension) can be enabled more easily than in the past. On the one hand, the roll bar can be raised when the convertible top is being retracted or extended so that an opening of the convertible top compartment that is as large as possible can be used for this purpose. On the other hand, the roll bar can be located in its lowered position over the opening of the convertible top compartment so that it does not occupy any volume in the vehicle interior.
The convertible top hatch transmission part can be connected directly or indirectly to the convertible top hatch. It is sufficient if driving force for moving the convertible top hatch is routed via it to the hatch.
Otherwise, in this application, the mobility of the part between two positions should also encompass the mobility of the part into any intermediate position between the two positions. The roll bar movement part is also called only the xe2x80x9cmovement partxe2x80x9d below.
Although the movement part in accordance with the invention can be the roll bar itself, in one especially economical alternative, the movement part, for reasons of greater independence of movement from the convertible top hatch and the roll bar, is preferably a part which is coupled to the roll bar for transfer of force and/or motion, such as, for example, the connecting rod of a driving or kinematic mechanism.
Increased safety of the vehicle passengers can also be ensured according to one development of the invention in that the roll bar, in its lowered position, is coupled or can be coupled to a safety drive which provides the driving force for moving the roll bar into the protective position.
Likewise, it is possible for the coupling of the roll bar movement apparatus to the convertible top hatch transmission part to take place manually by the driver. This can be done in a structurally simple manner in that the convertible top hatch transmission part can be coupled to the roll bar movement part by a movable lock element. However, the driver, in particular, need not be concerned to which part the roll bar movement part is coupled, if the convertible top hatch transmission part is coupled to the roll bar movement part in a normal driving situation. As a result of the mobility of the lock element, the coupling between the roll bar movement part and the convertible top hatch transmission part can be released at any time as required. A normal driving situation, in contrast to the emergency situation, is defined as any normal traffic situation including a parking situation, in which there is no need to trigger the roll bar for safety reasons.
However, when the coupling of the convertible top hatch transmission part to the roll bar movement part as the convertible top hatch is being opened is produced by the motion of the convertible top hatch transmission part, the existing coupling between the convertible top hatch transmission part and the roll bar movement part need not be released first in order to move the roll bar into the protective position. This offers increased passenger safety.
In one preferred-embodiment, the cabriolet vehicle comprises a convertible top hatch transmission part which can be moved between a first end position which is assigned to the cover position and a second end position assigned to the open position, a roll bar movement part which can be moved between a first end position assigned to the lowered position and a second end position which is assigned to the protective position, and a safety drive transmission part which can be moved between a first end position which corresponds to the force preparation position of the safety drive for the roll bar and a second end position which corresponds to the activation position of the safety drive. The aforementioned function can be obtained, for example, in that the transmission parts and the roll bar movement part can be moved at least some distance with the same type of motion and the same direction of motion in movement in the direction from its first end position to the second end position. Different types of motion can be rotation and/or translation. It is noted that motion of the same type and direction need begin neither in the first end position nor end in the second end position of one of the parts.
Joint motion of the movement part with one of the transmission parts at a time can be easily and economically achieved by there being on the convertible top hatch transmission part and/or on the safety drive transmission part one driving means each for driving the roll bar movement part in the motion of the respective transmission part in the direction of the second end position. In one especially simple case the driving means can be made as a mechanical stop. The roll bar movement part can be pushed by the mechanical stop for joint motion by one of the transmission parts. This has the advantage that the safety drive transmission part, which generally triggers suddenly, can so to speak xe2x80x9covertakexe2x80x9d the more slowly moving convertible top hatch transmission part, and thus, in an especially simple and reliable manner, can release the coupling of the motion of the roll bar movement part to the convertible top hatch transmission part at any time and can establish this coupling to the safety drive transmission part at any time.
However, in this type of coupling of motion, first of all, there is no coupling possibility for motion which sets the roll bar back into its lowered position. This can be achieved, for example, by the aforementioned lock element.
According to one advantageous development of the invention, the roll bar-convertible top hatch system can be made such that the lock element is made on the roll bar movement part. In this case, the roll bar movement part can be made such that the lock element can be moved between preferably positive engagement to the safety drive transmission part and a preferably positive engagement to the convertible top hatch transmission part. Thus, with the two transmission parts, secure coupling engagement can be selectively achieved by which there is also a reset possibility of the roll bar into the lowered position.
One prerequisite for automatic engagement of the lock element to the respective transmission part which entrains the movement part can be accomplished in that there is at least one gear mechanism on the lock element by which movement of the roll bar movement part and/or of the safety drive transmission part can be stepped up into motion which moves the lock element.
In one especially simple embodiment, the lock element can be made such that at least one angular surface is provided on the lock element, preferably for each transmission part an assigned angular surface. The angular surface is made as a gear mechanism, the surface normal of at least one angular surface having a component which is parallel to the direction of motion of the lock element and a component parallel to the direction of motion of the roll bar movement part out of the first end position.
Then, the transmission parts can be made such that the safety drive transmission part and/or the roll bar movement part has one acting surface each or can be coupled to one which is made for interaction with at least one angular surface of the lock element in order to thus cause the motion which moves the lock element. The active surface can be used, for example, as a slideway surface for the angular surface of the lock element. The part which has the acting surface can also be held in the roll bar movement part and can be coupled to one of the transmission parts or can be actuated by one of the transmission parts.
Reliable and permanent engagement of the lock element to one of the transmission parts can be implemented by there being a fixing means which fixes the lock element during motion of the roll bar movement part in the respective engagement position.
The fixing means can be made as a mechanical control especially easily and reliably, for example, such that the fixing means comprises a host of slide surfaces which run in the direction of motion of the roll bar movement part. These slide surfaces can be formed, for example, by a system of projections and grooves which fit into one another or by projections with contact surfaces which run parallel to one another and in the direction of motion of the movement part. The slide surfaces, of which there can be one on the lock element and another mounted on the body, can adjoin one another during the motion of the roll bar movement part, such that the body-mounted slide surface prevents displacement of the lock element out of its instantaneous engagement position.
Alternatively or in addition, it can be provided that the fixing means is formed by spring elements which tension the lock element into its engagement position.
To increase passenger safety in an emergency situation, the roll bar-convertible top hatch system can be developed such that there is a pull-back blocking part which, when the safety drive transmission part is not triggered, is locked in the pull-back release position in which it allows motion of the roll bar movement part in the direction toward the first end position, and which is unlocked by motion of the safety drive transmission part from its first end position in the direction to its second end position for movement into the pull-back blocking position in which it does not allow movement of the roll bar movement part in the direction to the first end position.
The motion of the pull-back blocking part when it is unlocked can be easily ensured by the pull-back blocking part being locked against pre-tensioning of the spring towards the pull-back blocking position in the pull-back release position.
A structurally simple and thus economical implementation of unlocking of the pull-back blocking part by the safety drive transmission part can be achieved by the safety drive transmission part being coupled in its first end position to the pull-back blocking part in its pull-back release position via a force transmission means, such as gearing or a rod.
The aforementioned advantageous effects can also be obtained on a generic motor vehicle by the roll bar and the convertible top hatch each being connected to a driving device which can be coupled to one another via a common control, and the convertible top hatch and the roll bar can be driven by the control and the respectively assigned driving devices into motion in directions which are different at least in segments. A space and/or time interval of joint motion of the convertible top hatch and the roll bar can be considered xe2x80x9cin segmentsxe2x80x9d.
In the cabriolet vehicle in accordance with the invention, thus a process for stowing and unloading a cabriolet convertible top from a convertible top compartment which can be covered with a convertible top hatch is possible which is characterized in that at least in one segment of motion of the convertible top hatch, a roll bar is moved simultaneously with it in a direction of motion which is different from the direction of motion of the convertible top hatch.
The invention is explained by way of example with reference to the attached drawings using preferred embodiments.